Conventional carrier tapes for storing electronic components have an elongated strip of plastic having a series of identical pockets. The pockets have sizes and shapes to accommodate specific designs of electronic components, such as microchips. The electronic components are supported in only one position on shoulders and corner supports extended upwardly from the wall at the bottom of the pocket. Ridges on the bottom wall cooperate with the sides of the electronic components prevent lateral movements of the electronic components. The ridges, shoulders and corner supports position the electronic components in the pockets and maintain the leads in spaced relationship relative to the bottom and side walls of the tape to protect the leads. A continuous cover tape-attached to the top of the tape retains the electronic components in the pockets. This cover tape must be removed from the tape to allow the electronic components to be removed from the tape. An example of a microchip storage tape with a cover tape to retain microchips in pockets in the tape is described by D. B. Chenoweth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,393.